Sausage casing and method of effecting closure thereof



Dec. 28, 1937. H. A. HENSEL 2,103,25

SAUSAGE CASING AND METHOD OF E FFECTING CLOSURE THEREOF Original Filed May 23, 1956 such asregenerated cellulose casings.

meted Dee-asides? Henry A. Hensel, Milwaukee, Wis., assignmto The Visking Corporation, Chicago,,Ill., acorpo I ration of Virginia Original application May 23, 1936,- Serial No. 81,431. Divided and this application october 7, 1936, Serial No. 104.505

5 Claims- This invention relates particularly to an improved method of effecting closure of a sausage casing and the improved product resulting therefrom.

The present application constitutes a division of my application Serial No. 81,431, filed May 23,

the engagement of the cord'with the knot in the end-portion of the casing is such that the weight of the sausage causes the cord to more efiectively' grip the knot, so that a highlyeifective closure of the casing is insured. v

The invention is particularly desirable for use in connection with artificial tubular casings,

It may be employed, however, in connection with artificial tubular casings produced in any desirable manner, and such casings may be put to any desired use.

The invention is particularly desirable for use in connection with tubular casings of relatively large diameter, ranging,'for example, from 1 to- 4 Such casings ordinarily are cut to suitable lengths before being stuffed and/or processed. Lengths in common use are from 16" to 24". Whether the casing is to be stufied with sausage, or other food-stuff, such as a compressed meat-cut or the like, it is desirable to close one end of the casing. before the stumng operation; and it is desirable to provide the closed end of the casing with a hanger. In accordance with the present invention, the cordwhich forms the hanger is so associated with the closed end of the casing as to tend to more effectively maintain the closure when the weight of the stuffed sausage is sustained by the hanger.

The improved method may be practiced, for convenience, with the aid of a machine of simple construction. The accompanying drawing illustrates such a machine sufliciently to enable the method of effecting the closure of the casing and the resultant product to be readily understood.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 represents a broken longitudinal sectional view, takenas indicated at line I of Fig. 3, of a simple machine for enabling the improved closure to be readily effected;

Fig.2, an elevational view on anenlarged scale of v I the casing-gripper shown in section in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a broken-perspective view of the machine employed, this viewshowing a sausage-casing having one end perforated and impaled onfthe device illustrated in Fig. 2 and having the other end entered through a loop-form gripper. ofsaid device; Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. ,3, illustrating a further step in knqtting the casing; Fig. 5, a broken'perspective view,partly in section, showing the loop of thecasing drawn closely' about a horizontal tubular. member through which a tie-cord extends, the tie-cord having been given a turn about the casingand the, free end of the tie-cord havingbeen passedbeneath' a spring-clip; Fig. 6, a broken perspective view, illustrating. a further-step in which the loop, of the casing has been slipped oilthe tubular supporting member, so that both members of the cord now extend.through-thecasing-loop; Fig. 7, a similar perspective view illustrating the manner in. which the cord is drawn a suitable dis- .tance through the tubular support and then is passed about a knife by means of which the cord is to be severed; Fig. 8, a broken perspective View of the casing with the knotting completed and the members of, the cord. ready to be, knotted to form' a'hanger-loop in the cord; and Fig. ,9,a broken perspective view illustratinga modification in which looping of one end of the casing is eifected and a hanger-cord'is effectively used to securely close the casing." n ,5

Referring to Figs. 1-8, the machineis esignated A; the sausage casing is designated B; and a continuous cord, drawn from any suitablesource (not shown) is designated 0., f-

The machine A is illustrated as comprising a hollow sheetmetal frame I havinga top I, sides I, and a bottom l anvimpaling and gripping device 2 comprising a tubularmember 2, and a plunger 2 'movable therein and having its upper end equipped with a gripper-loop 2 a gripperactuating device 3v comprising a post 3! carried by the bottom l, a lever 3 pivotally supported on said'post, anspring 3 which normally holds the plunger 2 pressed, and a finger-actuated plunger. 3 by means of which the lever 3, may be actuated against the force of its spring, thereby to elevate the gripper-loop 2 to enablean end-portion oithe casing to be thrust there through in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3; and a standard 4 secured to a sidewall l and carrying atubular memberil which projects across the top' I at a suitable distance above the same,

one end of the tubular member I! passing through u 7 the supporting standard 4 and the other end being free.

The casing l is of elongated rectangular form. It may be supported upon a bench or table. In Fig. 3, a single sausage casing is illustrated. In practice, a stack of sausage casings, each having one end-portion perforated, will be impaled on the device 2. The operator, taking the .casings in succession, will fold the topmost casing about the transverse tubular member 4" and, after suitably reducing the free end, will enter it through the gripper-loop .2, after elevating the loop in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The casings are preferably softened by soaking in water prior to performing the knotting operation.

The tubular member 2 in which the gripperplunger works, is suitably mounted in the frametop l as shown in Fig. 1. At its upper end, themember 2 is provided with a vertical slot 2 adapted to accommodate the reduced end-portion of the sausage casing when the gripper is lowered to the position shown in Fig. 4.

The lever 3 is supported at an intermediate portion and its ends engage suitable slots with which the plungers 2 and 3 are provided.

The upper portion of the standard 4 is provided with a cutter 4", shown as struck from the metal of saidstandard.

Referring to Figs. 1-8, the preferred method of effecting closure of the casing and providing the casing with 'a hanger-cord so applied that it will, in use, tend to tighten the loop, or knot, in the casing, may be described, as follows:

The tubular casing 13, in'this preferred procedure, has two holes punched therein in transverse alignment, and the perforated end-portion of the casing is folded alongthe medial longitudinal line to bring the two perforations into registration, after which the casing is impaled upon the device 2 as shown in Fig. 3. In practice, a

stack of casings are thus impaled upon the device 2 and supported on the top, or platform, I of the machine, the casings having been suitably soaked in water before placing them upon the 5 platform. The casing is folded to form a loop 5 which is supported on the horizontal tubular member 4- through which the cord C extends. The member 4 is provided at its free end with a resilient tongue, or gripper, 4, the purpose of which will be explained later. The imperforate end-portion of the casing, designated 5, is reduced in size by rolling or squeezing and is entered in the gripper-loop 2 as shown in Fig 3. This is accomplished while the gripp r-loop 2 is 66 in the elevated position shown in Fig. 1. The finger pressure is then removed and the loop 2 is drawn downwardly by the action of the spring 3, so that the reduced end-portion of the casing is gripped and housed within the upper portion of the tubular member I. This permits the perforate end of the casing to be drawn over the reduced end-portion of the casing in the manner shown in Fig. 4. The gripped end of the casing is then released and the-loop 5 is reduced to small dimensions, embracing the member 4' as shown in Fig 5.

The cord 0 has an end-portion 6 which depends from the free end of the tubular member 4' as shown in Fig. 3. This portion of the cord is looped about the casing B back-of the casing-loop 5, as indicated at 6". The end-portion of the cord is then temporarily secured to the end-portion of the tubular member 4' by passing the cord beneath the resilient tongue 4 as shown in Fig. 5.

The casing-loop 5 which now embraces the member 4 loosely is slid ofl the member 4' as illustrated in Fig. 6, the result being that both members of the cord are left extending through the loop 5 of the casing. The interlocking casingloop and cord-loop are then suitably tightened 5 and the cord is drawn from the tubular member 4 freeing the end-portion 6 from the gripper 4 and drawing out a suflicient length oftthe cord to form a loop I which is severed over the cutter 4 as shown in Fig. 7. a 10 This leaves the casing in the condition shown in Fig. 8, with the members of the cord extending through the casing-loop 5 and ready to be knotted to form a hanger-loop.

The resilient tongue, or gripper, 4 may be 15 formed in any suitable manner. As shown, it is formed by providing longitudinal slits in the tubular member 4 and lifting the tongue sunlciently to enable the cord to be passed to the gripped position. 20

It will be noted that the loop 6* of the cord, which may consist of one or two turns about the body of the casing, is disposed back of the perforate end of the casing, or back of the casing loop 5, so that when the casing is drawn in one 25 direction and the members of the cord drawn in the opposite direction the result will be to tighten the casing-loop. Thus, when a stuffed or loaded casing is being supported by the hangerloop, the tendency is for the hanger-cord and the 30 casing-loop to mutually tighten and bind upon each other. It is generally known that cellulose sausage casings are, when wet, extremely slippery; hence, the importance of so loopingthe casing and interlocking the casing-loop with the hanger- 3 cord in such manner that these members will mutually reinforce each other and in such manner that the load in the casing, when the stufled casing is supported by the hanger-cord, will tend to render moresecure the knot in the casing. 40 This feature is important, also, in the operation of stufllng the casing, particularly in sausage stitifiiing, in which operation high'pressure is exe e a Fig. 9 illustrates a modification, which, while 45 less desirable in some respects, obviates the necessity of perforating one end of the casing. Theclosure may be effected conveniently by making use of the machine .illustrated, omitting the gripper device 2 and attendant parts. In the 50 modification, the casing is designated B. One end-portion'of the casing is compressed or re-- duced and is folded to form' a loop 8 about the mandrel 4*. The cord protruding from the tubular member 4 is designated 9. As clearly ap- 55 pears from Fig. 9, the cord is given a turnabout the neck-portion of the main body of thecasing, as indicated at 8'. The cord is then given a turn or-two about the extremity of the reduced endportion of the casing, as indicated at I. It is then given a turn about the extremity of the reduced portion and the neck-portion of the main body of the casing, as indicated at 8. Finally, the extremity of the cord, indicated at 65 S is passed beneath the gripper 4. In the illustration, the parts are shown in loose condition. In practice, the cord will be drawn sufficiently taut to securely connect the free end of the 'loop to the body of, the casing; the casing will then 7 he slid oflthe mandrel in a manner similar to that indicated at Fig. 6, whereupon both membersof the cord will then extend through the casing-loop I. By suitably tightening the cord enclosing the loop, a secure connection of the (6 2,108,258 hanger-cord with the casing is attained and an ket. Tubular containers of this character possess a great strength. They are amenable to use in accordance with the present invention, as will be understood readily by those skilled in the art.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I. The combination of a sausage casing folded upon itself to close the same, and a cord wrapped about said portions adjacent the fold and passed between the folded portions intermediate the wrapped portion of the cord and the fold, whereby tension on the cordtightens the grip of the cord on the casing.

2. A sausage casing having a portion thereof passed through the material of another portion thereof to form a knot, and a cord wrapped around said casing adjacent said knot and passed through said knot whereby tension on said cord tightens the grip of said cord on said casing.

3. A sausage casing having one portion there of folded upon another portion thereof, anda cord wrapped around said portions and passed between the folded portions intermediate the i fold and the wrapped portion of the cord.

4. An artificial casing of the character set forth having near one end a perforation and ,afl

loop formed by threading the main portion of the casing through said perforation, and a cord having a loop engaging the casing'back of the casing-loop and having a member extending through the casing-loop.

5. An artificial casing having near one end I a perforation and a loop formed by threading the main portion of the casing through said perforation, and a hanger-cord having 'a loop engaged about the casing back of its perforate end adapted to tighten the when the loaded casing is suspended through the medium of said hanger-cord.

HENRY A. HEN SEL.

loop of the casing 

